Orioles minor league recap 7/26: Top prospects shine as Norfolk loses 10-8 barnburner

Triple-A: Nashville Sounds (Brewers) 10, Norfolk Tides 8

Norfolk let an early 5-0 lead slip through its fingers Tuesday, as Nashville scored 10 runs from the fifth inning on to take the win. The Tides wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Connor Norby led off the bottom of the first with a double that sparked a rally. Two batters later, Joey Ortiz singled into center to bring home Norby, though Ortiz was thrown out at second. Kyle Stowers and Coby Mayo kept the rally going, as a Stowers singled turned into the Tides’ second run when Mayo rocketed a double to left to drive in the outfielder. César Prieto then finished off the rally with an RBI single to score Mayo from second.

Ortiz and Mayo continued their fireworks later in the contest, as the Tides loaded the bases in the second, allowing Ortiz to collect his second RBI of the game on a sac fly to center. Mayo then provided the loudest hit of the game for Norfolk in the third, launching his second Triple-A HR over 400 ft to left center.

Things proceeded to fall apart for the Norfolk pitching staff. A bases loaded double in the fifth saw their lead shrink to 5-2, and then two HRs in the sixth allowed Nashville to tie the game at five. The Tides briefly reclaimed the lead in the seventh on another RBI double from Mayo, but the Sounds stormed back with a four-run eighth inning before adding an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

The Tides attempted a late inning rally of their own in the ninth, as a single, walk and some wild pitches gave them an early second and third, nobody out threat. Mayo then delivered his fourth RBI of the game on sac fly and after loading the bases, catcher Maverick Handley delivered another run on a single to left. However, the rally ultimately fell short, as Norby struck out with the bases loaded the end the game. Still, the monster evening from Ortiz, Mayo and Norby cannot be understated. The trio combined to go 9-10 with 15 total bases and six RBIs.

Box score

Double-A: Somerset Patriots (Yankees) 6, Bowie Baysox 0 (F/6)

The Baysox never got their offense going Tuesday afternoon before rain ended the game after just six innings. Bowie fell behind early, when Somerset shortstop Trey Sweeney led off the bottom of the first with a HR to right. Starter Carlos Tavera struggled throughout the first two innings, but was bailed out of tough jams thanks to a pair of Somerset base runners getting caught stealing.

Tavera started to settle in in the third, striking out the side. However, that stability was short lived, as he walked the second hitter in the fourth and then gave up back-to-back singles that saw the Patriots take a 2-0 lead. Reliever Nick Richmond didn’t fare any better than the Baysox starter. Richmond got the last out in the fourth, but then loaded the bases with one out in the fifth. A sac fly and a three-run home run later, and the Baysox were staring at a 6-0 hole. After a scoreless sixth inning for both teams, the game entered a rain delay, and was eventually called due to the weather.

Box Score

High-A: Aberdeen IronBirds at Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies)—Postponed

The same rain that ended the Baysox game early prevented the IronBirds game from ever getting started. Aberdeen and Jersey Shore will play a doubleheader Wednesday to make up for the rainout.

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox) 1

The Shorebirds got a complete performance from their star players Tuesday, dominating the Cannon Ballers in their 5-1 win. The pitching staff shutdown the Kannapolis bats, as Moisés Chace and Luis De León combined to only allow one run across nine innings. Chace worked the first four innings, and got off to a rocky start in the first. The first batter of the game reached on catcher’s interference, and after a Kannapolis double and sac fly, the Cannon Ballers led 1-0.

From there Chace settled into the game. The 20-year-old from Venezuela didn’t allow any hits in the second and third innings, and didn’t allow any balls hit out of the infield. Chace gave up a leadoff single in the fourth inning, and then allowed another two-out single to give the Cannon Ballers a two-on, two-out scoring threat. However, Chace punched out the final batter of the inning to finish his outing.

Then De León took over and the Kannapolis bats went completely silent. In only his second outing for the Shroebirds, the 20-year-old lefty from the Dominican Republic worked five no-hit innings while striking out eight. The only baserunner against De León came in the seventh inning via a leadoff walk, but he followed that up with a K and two groundouts to short. He went on to strike out the side in the eighth and then finished out the game with another two Ks in the ninth.

Offensively, the Shorebirds were led by center fielder Stiven Acevedo and catcher Samuel Basallo. Acevedo got the scoring started for the Shorebirds in the first, launching a solo HR to left on the first pitch of the game. After Kannapolis tied the game at one, Acevedo restored the Shorebirds’ lead in the top of the third, hitting a sac fly to center after a leadoff triple from right fielder Luis Gonzalez. Basallo then provided the Shorebirds with an insurance run in the eighth inning, driving home Acevedo on a double to the RF corner. The Shorebirds picked up an additional pair on insurance runs in the ninth, both coming off wild pitches with runners on third.

Box Score

Wednesday’s Scheduled Games

• Norfolk Tides vs. Nashville Sounds, 6:35pm ET. Garrett Stallings vs. TBD
• Bowie Baysox at Somerset Patriots, 7:05pm ET. TBD vs. TBD
• Aberdeen IronBirds vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Game 1, 11:05am ET. Daniel Lloyd vs. Gabriel Cotto
• Aberdeen Ironbirds vs. Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Game 2. TBD vs. Gunner Mayer
• Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 12:05pm ET. Wyatt Cheney vs. TBD